Worcestershire League: Leaders Bewdley beat Chaddesley Corbett

He took 6-57, including five of the last seven wickets to fall, to ensure a maximum-point win.

Mills claimed the final wicket off the last ball when just two runs were required by Chaddesley, whose innings was reduced to 45 overs by rain, for the winning draw.

Bewdley maintained a 16-point gap over Stourport who enjoyed a more comfortable win against Burghill, Tillington and Weobley thanks to Greg Massingham (97) and Ryan Derrick (5-51).

It now looks like a two-horse race for the title as third-placed Evesham’s match at Worcester Nomads was abandoned after the visitors posted 263-8 with Cameron Blakey taking 6-77.

With five or six teams set to qualify for next season’s revamped top flight, Worcester boosted their hopes with a seven-wicket victory against Cookley, who were restricted to 125, to go fifth.

Worcester’s Old Vigornians threw away a golden opportunity to beat Division Two leaders Oldswinford and Stourbridge Social after twice letting them off the hook and falling short of a rain-reduced target by 20 runs.

Stourbridge were restricted to 155-9 from 50 overs but had been on 86-7 after 35.

Their tail-enders added 69 from the final 15 overs with Matthew Broad (13 not out) and Patrick Addis (12no) putting on 29 for the 10th wicket.

Max Richardson (2-27) and Alex Parker (2-43) bowled well but Ed Burgoyne was best with 3-45 from 15 overs.

OVs reached 50-1 in 10 overs and the target was reduced to 135 after rain.

But after veteran opener Oz Fiaz fell for 45 an inexperienced line-up panicked.

There were two run outs and the last five wickets fell for nine runs as Addis took 4-38.

Coombs Wood remain second after a five-wicket win at fourth-placed Bromyard who were skittled for 111 by Alex Gregory’s 4-41.

Fifth-placed Droitwich Spa could only muster a losing draw against struggling Wormelow as spinner Luke Sparrow returned 5-51.

Max Young claimed 5-53 for Spa and then top scored with 42 but the hosts’ 229-9 proved to be above-par.

Droitwich’s lower order dug in and ninth-wicket pair Matt Gurr and Dave Stephens saw out the final eight overs with little alarm on 158-8.

Alastair Pretty scored another half-century for Himbleton as they beat Bredon by 56 runs while Adam Baker took 5-47 for Kempsey to help them to their third victory of the season against Bartestree and Lugwardine.

Lye were crowned Division Three champions after amassing 406-7 against Bromsgrove in a maximum-point win thanks to Tanzeel Rehman (171) and Waqas Ahmed (58).

Harborne leapfrogged Rushwick into second place as they secured a high-scoring winning draw against Alvechurch and Hopwood.

Fourth-placed Netherton reduced the gap to Rushwick to 13 points by securing a winning draw against them.

Martley closed the gap to fifth after beating Hanley Castle and Upton by eight wickets while Eastnor posted 306-7 to secure victory against bottom club Malvern.

Division Four leaders Romsley and Hunnington remain five points clear of Astwood Bank at the top as Scott Robbins took 5-39 against Tenbury to help ensure a seven-wicket victory.

Bank beat Hallow Taverners by 119 runs with Dave Price scoring 80no and third-placed Halesowen sneaked home by one wicket chasing West Malvern’s 173.

Peter Gurr scored 88no for West while Fergus Neve took 5-72 and Matthew Hindmarsh 4-56.

Kidderminster remained fifth after securing a winning draw in a high-scoring match against bottom side Stourport despite 122 from Mark Gleeson.

RESULTS - FIRST XI DIVISION ONE

Bewdley 218-6 24 M Harris 63, N Wilkinson 62, Chaddesley Corbett 195 a/o 4 J Mills 6-57. Bewdley won by 23 runs.

Colwall 87 a/o 5, Hagley 22-2 9. Match Abandoned.

Pedmore 218 a/o 5 T Coulson 4-61, Feckenham 222-8 20 J Griffiths 60, W Davies 52. Feckenham won by 2 wickets.

Stourport 228-7 24 G Massingham 97, Burghill, Tillington & Weobley 111 a/o 3 R Derrick 5-51. Stourport won by 116 runs.

Cookley 125-9 1, Worcester 126-3 20. Worcester won by 7 wickets.

Evesham 263-8 9 M Saqib 53 - C Blakey 6-77, Worcester Nomads 8. Match Abandoned.

DIVISION TWO

Kempsey 208 a/o 24 G Cooke 71 - M Ashcroft 5-45, T Strangward 4-40, Bartestree & Lugwardine 182 a/o 5 A Baker 5-47, M Farooq 4-59. Kempsey won by 26 runs.

Enville 242 a/o 8, Belbroughton 216-7 16 Belbroughton winning draw on faster scoring rate.

Himbleton 176-8 24 A Pretty 63, Bredon 120 a/o 3 R Perrins 5-38. Himbleton won by 56 runs.

Bromyard 111 a/o 2 A Gregory 4-41, Coombs Wood 115-5 20. Coombs Wood won by 5 wickets.

Oldswinford & Stourbridge Social 155-9 24, Old Vigornians 115 a/o 4 P Addis 4-38. Oldswinford & Stourbridge Social won by 40 runs.

Wormelow 229-9 16 R Stafford 69 - M Young 5-53, Droitwich Spa 159-8 4 L Sparrow 5-51. Wormelow winning draw.

DIVISION THREE

Alvechurch & Hopwood 302-7 8 E Rodgers 171, Harborne 271-6 15 B Raj 111, L Baines 65. Harborne winning draw on faster scoring rate.

Avoncroft 257-9 24 D Elliot 107 - S Khan 5-61, Five Ways Old Edwardians 148 a/o 4. Avoncroft won by 109 runs.

Hanley Castle & Upton 100 a/o 0 P Gardner 6-28, Martley 101-2 24. Martley won by 8 wickets.

Lye 406-7 24 T Rehman 171, W Ahmed 53 - J Searle 4-110, Bromsgrove 155 a/o 3 N Hussain 4-71. Lye won by 251 runs.

Eastnor 306-7 24 A Ibrar 69, S Beale 58, H Coleman 56, Malvern 147 a/o 3. Eastnor won by 159 runs.

Netherton 223-6 13 M Lowe 55, Rushwick 180-8 5 B Lewis 4-59. Netherton winning draw.

DIVISION FOUR

Astwood Bank 221-4 24 D Price 80*, D Jacobs 67, Hallow Taverners 102 a/o 1 D Freeman 4-34. Astwood Bank won by 119 runs.

Himley 106 a/o 3 R Mills 6-21, Claverley 110-7 24 J McKaig 4-18. Claverley won by 3 wickets.

West Malvern 173 a/o 4 P Gurr 88 * - C Gutteridge 4-31, Halesowen 174-9 20 F Neve 5-72, M Hindmarsh 4-56. Halesowen won by 1 wicket.

Kidderminster 259-8 15, Stourport 246-7 8 M Gleeson 122. Kidderminster winning draw.

Tenbury 103 a/o 1 S Robbins 5-39, Romsley & Hunnington 105-3 24. Romsley & Hunnington won by 7 wickets.

Stourbridge 141-8 1, Alveley 142-3 20 L Brant 69. Alveley won by 7 wickets.